Cleaning toys

[Smithagain]

Anyone run a playgroup/toddler group/nursery and able to help me with a good routine for keeping toys clean?

I run a weekly toddler group and the cleaning arrangements are a bit haphazard. Nothing is actually obviously dirty, but I wouldn't say the cleaning is terribly regular.

Just wondered what other groups do - how often is "good practice" for a group that meets weekly - and how can I make it take less time to do!!!

[Colonelcupcake]

It depends pn the toys, for the plastic non electical toys I use a big bucket of diluted milton for the stuffed i chuck through the washing machine anything electrical can be wiped down with diluted milton liquid on a damp cloth.

I would say do it monthly

[purepurple]

make a list of all the toys, wash something weekly and tick it off your list. Keep it going, like a rolling rota, with the date washed. that way you can tell when something has not been done for a while. Diluted miltons is fine for most things. Stuff like lego and other plastic stuff can be left overnight in sterilising soultion and left to air dry the next day.

[Smithagain]

Thanks both of you, that's useful.

I really need to do an up to date list of toys/equipment anyway. That should help me divide it all up into managable batches and get a rolling programme going for the small items and baby toys to be done more frequently. Do you think it's OK just to do the bigger items (play kitchen, see-saw etc) every half term?

Am also determined to enlist some volunteers to help!